Tag: PWD

Australia – Disinfluencer, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting inclusivity for persons with disability (PWD), has made its debut with the launch of a billboard advancing its mission. Crowdfunded during the Disability Pride Month in July, the billboard is located on Princes Highway, St. Peters in Sydney.

With its aim to promote diversity and inclusion, Disinfluencer offers an inclusive stock library and a tailored three-part e-learning module to guide marketing teams into a deeper understanding of disability. Digital accessibility will also empower them to transform how they approach disability in marketing.

The billboard features Josh, a person with disability, alongside the statement “I would buy from him,” highlighting talent and skill within the PWD community. Not only are they capable, but also ready to be spotlighted as the face of brands. Disinfluencer connects businesses with this talent pool, offering upskilling and valuable work for PWD.

“Our billboard is a bold statement of our mission to take disability mainstream. Business and brands know why they need to be inclusive. In fact they want to be inclusive, however are not sure how to implement it. That is where Disinfluencer can help. With our support, brands can authentically engage with a wider audience and lead the charge toward a more inclusive world,” Simone Eyles, founder at Disinfluencer, said.

“Marketing isn’t just about selling products; it’s about building relationships. And that means recognising the diverse needs and perspectives of all consumers, including those with disabilities. Brands and marketing have the power to persuade, they can not only lead the charge with this movement by having inclusive talent on set, in their ads and across their digital channels, so not only representing but using the power of creativity to create change” Eyles said.

With the goal of authentic PWD representation, Disinfluencer’s billboard also showcases persons living with invisible disability and chronic illness, which includes 5.5 million Australians according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

“Inclusion is no longer optional; it’s essential for growth and innovation. Our launch isn’t just about a single billboard—it’s about igniting a movement. We’re here to partner with brands that are ready to embrace inclusion, and Disinfluencer offers a clear path to making that happen,” Eyles said.

Singapore – Leading tech company Microsoft fortifies its diversity & inclusion advocacy through its latest initiative across APAC, the Microsoft Enabler Program.

Said to be the first of its kind, the program partners non-profit organizations (NPOs) who will provide training to organizations to become inclusive employers, who in turn will provide job shadowing, internships, mentoring, and opportunities in tech jobs for PWDs identified by the NPOs.

The program will be piloted in five markets: Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, before expanding to the rest of the region by the end of 2020.

Within the program, Microsoft will also see the direct training to PWDs themselves, where sessions will circle engineering and programming and cloud computing on Microsoft Azure as well as application development in GitHub. 

For the employer partners, alongside offering inputs on workplace modifications, workshops by NPOs will teach inclusive design and assistive technologies enabled through artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure.

Chief partner officer of Microsoft for APAC Vivek Puthucode said that as 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, tech roles and digital skills will be the backbone of the economic recovery in every country.

“In today’s workplace, it is imperative that we include everyone, and accessibility is the vehicle to inclusion. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. There are no limits to what people can achieve when technology reflects the diversity of everyone who uses it,” said Puthucode.

He says of the program, “At the heart of the Microsoft Enabler Program is a comprehensive accessibility model that will not only improve inclusion of people with disabilities across Asia Pacific for years to come but [also] connects local talent from underrepresented communities and improves our society.”

Microsoft said that in addition, it will be providing a platform for all three parties to better collaborate on the program.

There are a total of Six NPOs, all dedicated to promoting inclusion in the workplace, and 14 tech organizations that are part of the program.

To expand the talent pipeline for employer partners and connect job-seeking PWDs to tech roles, the program will also feature a virtual job fair, which will be held at the end of the second quarter of 2021.